Select the object you wish to apply the drop shadow to. The object can be a text frame, a prop, a word balloon, or any other object contained in the project.
Click the Drop Shadow icon in the Projects toolbar. The Drop Shadow controls will be visible in the Settings area below the Work area. The controls include Shadow Direction, Movement, Shadow Transparency, and Shadow Edge Fading.
Choose a drop shadow direction by clicking one of the Shadow Direction control squares in the Settings area. There are eight directions to choose from. The center square will produce no shadow.
Change the color of the shadow by clicking the Color icon.
The distance of the shadow from the object can be changed by adjusting the Movement slider. A value of zero will place the shadow directly under the object. Increasing the value will move the shadow further in the direction of the chosen direction square.
Adjust the Shadow Transparency by moving the slider. A value of 100 will make the shadow opaque, so that underlying objects will not show through. Values less than 100 will alllow underlying objects to show through.
Adjust the Shadow Edge Fading by moving the slider. A value of zero will make the shadow very sharp and defined. Values greater than zero will make the shadow more diffuse. For greater realism, shadows should have some edge fading, especially if the Movement slider has been adjusted to make the shadow relatively far from the object.
The Settings Area
Shadow Direction control - Click the appropriate square to set the direction of the drop shadow. Selecting the center square turns the drop shadow off.
Movement slider - adjusts the distance of the drop shadow from the source object. If the slider is set to zero, the shadow will be directly below the object. Increasing the value will move the shadow further in the direction indicated by the selected direction square.
Opacity sllider - adjusts the opacity (transparency) of the shadow. Set at 100, the shadow is opaque (solid), so the background will not show through. Values less than 100 will make the shadow more transparent, alllowing underlying objects to show through.
Fading slider - adjusts the transparency of the shadow's edges, for a fade effect. Set at zero, the shadow's edges are opaque (solid). With values more than zero, the edges become diffuse, allowing background objects to show through. If you apply the Edge Fading to a shadow with no objects in the background, the edges will fade to white.
